PAC wants ST15 rice subsidy to stop

PETALING JAYA: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has called on the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry to suspend its ST15 Rice Production Subsidy Programme which failed to achieve its goal of providing subsidised rice to the low-income group.
PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the committee found the programme to be unsatisfactory after having made an inquiry on the matter, which was brought up by the 2013 Attorney-General's report.
"There is no standard operating procedure (SOP) in how the rice is distributed.
"The rice could be sold to wholesalers and hypermarkets, and there is no supervision on who purchases the rice," he told a press conference here today.
Nur Jazlan said the programme began in 2008 with an allocation of RM300 million, which increased to RM488 million in 2011 and RM528 million last year.
"The PAC sees this as a wastage if the target is not met," he said.